Phil Harrington
Encyclopedia
Philip "Phil" Harrington (born 23 November 1963, Bangor, Gwynedd
) is a Welsh
goalkeeper and current manager of Douglas Hall in the Munster Senior League
.
Although he was born in Bangor
, Harrington grew up in nearby Caernarfon
and it was while on the books of Caernarfon Town
that he was spotted by Chester
coach Cliff Sear
and joined the Football League
club on schoolboy terms. He became an apprentice with the club after leaving school in 1980, with his performances for Chester's reserve and youth sides prompting a call up to the Wales
Youth side for the 1981 European Youth Championships.
Harrington made his first–team debut for Chester in a 3–1 home win over Huddersfield Town
on 20 February 1982. He went on to make 76 appearances over the next three years, amid competition from Grenville Millington
, Mike Salmon
, Billy O'Rourke
and John Butcher. Harrington was first–choice goalkeeper at Chester by the end of 1982–83
, but an injury in the penultimate game of the season at Torquay United
prematurely ended his campaign and led to defender Noel Bradley
having to deputise for him. But Harrington recovered in time for one of his most memorable games for Chester in a Milk Cup
tie against Bolton Wanderers
in September 1983, when he saved the first three Bolton penalties in the penalty shoot-out to give Chester victory. This season saw him miss just five games for Chester, but unfortunately the campaign ended with the club finishing bottom of The Football League
.
Three months of 1984–85
were spent on loan at Oxford United
without making any appearances. He then moved on to Blackpool
in March 1985, but again did not make the first–team. He did though play two games for both Burnley
and Preston North End
during 1985–86
.
Signed for Cork City F.C.
in May 1988 as a replacement for Tim Dalton
and made his League of Ireland
debut on 4 September 1988. Kept 112 clean sheets from 257 appearances in his Cork career.
"Biscuits", as he is nicknamed, re-signed from Avondale F.C. in the 2005 season as cover for the injured Michael Devine
in the away UEFA Cup
tie against Ekranas http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/2005/0715/Pg019.html#Ar01902. He managed to keep a clean sheet in that game and marked another shut out against Drogheda
in a league match in United Park
which City won on their march to league glory.
Bangor, Gwynedd
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
) is a Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
goalkeeper and current manager of Douglas Hall in the Munster Senior League
Munster Senior League (association football)
Munster Senior League is an amateur football league in the Irish province of Munster. Teams from this league also compete in Ireland's top cup competitions including the FAI Cup, the FAI Junior Cup and the FAI Intermediate Cup...
.
Although he was born in Bangor
Bangor, Gwynedd
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
, Harrington grew up in nearby Caernarfon
Caernarfon
Caernarfon is a Royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,611. It lies along the A487 road, on the east banks of the Menai Straits, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is to the northeast, while Snowdonia fringes Caernarfon to the east and southeast...
and it was while on the books of Caernarfon Town
Caernarfon Town F.C.
Caernarfon Town F.C. is a football team, playing in the Cymru Alliance. The club ia nicknamed The Canaries because of its yellow and green strip. Caernarfon Town plays at The Oval, Caernarfon, Gwynedd.-History:...
that he was spotted by Chester
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
coach Cliff Sear
Cliff Sear
Cliff Sear was a Welsh football left back who played for Manchester City between 1956 and 1967. During this time he made 250 appearances for the team and scored 1 goal....
and joined the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
club on schoolboy terms. He became an apprentice with the club after leaving school in 1980, with his performances for Chester's reserve and youth sides prompting a call up to the Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
Youth side for the 1981 European Youth Championships.
Harrington made his first–team debut for Chester in a 3–1 home win over Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
on 20 February 1982. He went on to make 76 appearances over the next three years, amid competition from Grenville Millington
Grenville Millington
Grenville Rodney Millington was a professional footballer who played in The Football League as a goalkeeper. He enjoyed a long career with Chester City and was voted the club's BBC Cult Hero in 2005. Millington is now an established goalkeeping coach...
, Mike Salmon
Mike Salmon
Michael "Mike" Salmon is an English football player and coach.-Career:During his playing days, Salmon was a goalkeeper, best known for his ten year spell at Charlton Athletic. He started as a trainee with Blackburn Rovers, making his debut in a 1-1 draw against Chelsea...
, Billy O'Rourke
Billy O'Rourke
William James "Billy" O'Rourke was an English professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He played in The Football League for four different clubs.-Playing career:...
and John Butcher. Harrington was first–choice goalkeeper at Chester by the end of 1982–83
1982-83 in English football
The 1982–83 season was the 103rd season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Bob Paisley's last season as Liverpool manager ended on a high as they topped the First Division with a comfortable lead. Bob Paisley retired as Liverpool manager with a record 21 prizes in nine years. His...
, but an injury in the penultimate game of the season at Torquay United
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
prematurely ended his campaign and led to defender Noel Bradley
Noel Bradley
Noel Bradley is a former Irish footballer who played in The Football League for Bury and Chester City...
having to deputise for him. But Harrington recovered in time for one of his most memorable games for Chester in a Milk Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
tie against Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
in September 1983, when he saved the first three Bolton penalties in the penalty shoot-out to give Chester victory. This season saw him miss just five games for Chester, but unfortunately the campaign ended with the club finishing bottom of The Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
.
Three months of 1984–85
1984-85 in English football
The 1984–85 season was the 105th season of competitive football in England.-Bradford City disaster:56 spectators died and more than 200 were injured when a fire ripped through the Main Stand at Valley Parade during Bradford City's Third Division fixture with Lincoln City on 11 May...
were spent on loan at Oxford United
Oxford United F.C.
Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...
without making any appearances. He then moved on to Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
in March 1985, but again did not make the first–team. He did though play two games for both Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
and Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
during 1985–86
1985-86 in English football
The 1985–86 season was the 106th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :The championship crown went to Liverpool for the 16th time in their history at the end of their first season under the management of Kenny Dalglish, but they had to fight off some very stiff competition to...
.
Signed for Cork City F.C.
Cork City F.C.
Cork City Football Club is an Irish football team that plays in the League of Ireland. Founded and elected to the league in 1984 to continue the long tradition of Association Football in Cork, City's traditional colours are green and white with red trim, and the crest is a variant of the Cork...
in May 1988 as a replacement for Tim Dalton
Tim Dalton
Tim Dalton is a former Irish footballer.During his career he played for Coventry City, Bournemouth, Notts County and later moved to Boston United, Bradford City, Tranmere Rovers, Cork City and Derry City FC of the League of Ireland, where he won an Irish domestic treble in 1989, Airdrie United and...
and made his League of Ireland
League of Ireland
The League of Ireland is the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, as a league of eight clubs, it has expanded over time into a two-tiered league of 22 clubs. It is currently split into the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland...
debut on 4 September 1988. Kept 112 clean sheets from 257 appearances in his Cork career.
"Biscuits", as he is nicknamed, re-signed from Avondale F.C. in the 2005 season as cover for the injured Michael Devine
Michael Devine (footballer)
-Early career:Devine began playing football with Springfield FC in Cobh, County Cork, where he was capped at U15 and U16 levels, and thereafter signed for English team Middlesbrough. Devine spent four years at Ayresome Park learning his trade before he briefly moved on to Newcastle United and...
in the away UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
tie against Ekranas http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/2005/0715/Pg019.html#Ar01902. He managed to keep a clean sheet in that game and marked another shut out against Drogheda
Drogheda
Drogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. It is the last bridging point on the River Boyne before it enters the Irish Sea....
in a league match in United Park
United Park
Hunky Dorys Park is a football stadium in Drogheda, Ireland. The ground has been home to League of Ireland side Drogheda United since 1979. The ground has a capacity of 2,000 with 400 seats...
which City won on their march to league glory.
Honours
- League of IrelandLeague of IrelandThe League of Ireland is the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, as a league of eight clubs, it has expanded over time into a two-tiered league of 22 clubs. It is currently split into the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland...
- Cork City F.C.Cork City F.C.Cork City Football Club is an Irish football team that plays in the League of Ireland. Founded and elected to the league in 1984 to continue the long tradition of Association Football in Cork, City's traditional colours are green and white with red trim, and the crest is a variant of the Cork...
- 1992/93
- Cork City F.C.
- League of Ireland Cup: 2
- Cork City F.C.Cork City F.C.Cork City Football Club is an Irish football team that plays in the League of Ireland. Founded and elected to the league in 1984 to continue the long tradition of Association Football in Cork, City's traditional colours are green and white with red trim, and the crest is a variant of the Cork...
- 1987/88, 1994/95
- Cork City F.C.